What to Ask Before Hiring a Commercial Building Cleaning Company in Dallas
Commercial exterior cleaning is a vendor relationship that involves access to your building, liability exposure at height, chemical application near tenants and the public, and documentation you may need for insurance, compliance, or asset records. Before signing a contract, property managers in Dallas–Fort Worth should ask eight questions. The answers tell you more than the price.
1. Can You Provide a COI with Additional Insured Language?
This is the first question, not the last. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) protects your property and your organization if something goes wrong during the cleaning operation — damaged facade, injury to a passerby, equipment incident. "Additional insured" language means you are covered under their policy, not just them.
Minimum commercial liability coverage: $1M per occurrence is the industry minimum. $2M–$3M is standard for mid-rise and high-rise work.
Workers Compensation is required if they have employees — ask for it separately.
COI turnaround time tells you about their operational readiness. BolAero delivers COI with additional insured language in 24-48 hours.
Red flag: vendors who quote without asking about your COI requirements or who need more than 2 weeks to provide documentation.
2. What Certifications Does Your Crew Hold?
For drone-based exterior cleaning, FAA Part 107 certification is required by law for commercial drone operations. It covers the pilot, not just the equipment. For rope access or elevated work, SPRAT (Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians) or IRATA certification covers the technicians. Ask which certifications apply and request documentation.
FAA Part 107: mandatory for commercial drone operations. Ask for the Remote Pilot Certificate, not just the company claim.
SPRAT/IRATA: industry standard for rope access technicians. Certification is per-person, not per-company.
OSHA 10 or 30: general construction safety training — good baseline for any crew doing exterior work.
Red flag: vendors who reference certification without being able to produce the certificate on request.
3. What Access Equipment Will You Use — and What Permits Does That Require?
Different cleaning methods have very different implications for your property and your tenants. Scaffolding, boom lifts, and rope access each require different permits, create different levels of disruption, and carry different timelines. Drone cleaning eliminates access equipment entirely. Know what you are getting before the crew arrives.
Scaffolding: requires city permit in most Dallas jurisdictions. Sidewalk closure permit if over a public sidewalk. 2–5 days installation, 1–3 days teardown.
Boom lift: requires clear overhead path and level ground. Displaces 4–8 parking spaces per position.
Rope access: requires roof access for anchor rigging. Workers visible at tenant window level for duration.
Drone: FAA Part 107 covers operations. No access permits, no scaffolding permits, no lane closures. Ground footprint: one parking space.
4. What Documentation Will You Provide After the Job?
The cleaning invoice is not documentation. For property management purposes — board reporting, lease files, insurance records, asset documentation — you need before-and-after photos organized by building section, a completed scope checklist, and a dated report you can file. Ask what the vendor provides as standard.
Minimum standard: before-and-after photos from the same angle.
Better: photos organized by building side (north, south, east, west) and elevation zone.
Best: branded Proof-of-Clean Report delivered as PDF within 24–48 hours — formatted for building files.
Red flag: vendors who do not mention documentation until you ask, or who offer it as an add-on.
5. How Do You Handle Surface Chemistry?
Not every building exterior needs the same cleaning approach. EIFS and stucco require low-pressure soft wash with appropriate chemistry — high-pressure application can cause irreversible surface damage and void warranties. Brick and concrete handle pressure rinse. Glass requires deionized water, not chemicals. A vendor who applies the same method to every surface is cutting corners.
EIFS / stucco: soft wash only. Low PSI. Chemical applied at low pressure, dwell time, rinse. High pressure = damage.
Brick / concrete: pressure rinse effective. Chemistry selected based on soiling type (organic growth vs mineral deposits).
Glass / curtain wall: deionized pure water. Chemical-free for standard cleaning. Manufacturer-recommended method.
Metal panel: low pressure, neutral pH chemistry. Avoid alkaline chemicals near painted or anodized aluminum.
Ask: what method do you use for [your specific surface material]? If they give the same answer regardless of surface, it is a red flag.
6. What Is Your Runoff and Water Management Plan?
Commercial exterior cleaning generates wastewater that contains cleaning chemicals, biological material, and surface contaminants. In most Texas jurisdictions, discharge of cleaning wastewater to storm drains is regulated. Ask how the vendor manages runoff — especially on properties adjacent to storm drains, parking structures with drainage systems, or properties with irrigation runoff restrictions.
Soft wash and pressure wash runoff must be managed per local ordinance in Dallas, Fort Worth, and most DFW municipalities.
Eco-friendly chemistry does not eliminate the runoff management requirement — it reduces chemical load.
BolAero provides a water and environmental compliance plan with every job. SDS sheets available on request.
Red flag: vendors who have not considered runoff management or who say "it all washes away."
7. What Is Your Tenant Notification Process?
For occupied commercial buildings, tenants and building occupants should be notified before exterior cleaning begins — even with low-disruption methods like drone cleaning. A proper notification process protects you, sets expectations, and prevents complaints. Ask if the vendor provides a notification template or handles communication.
Minimum: property manager notifies tenants 48 hours before. One email, one paragraph.
Better: vendor provides a tenant notice template specific to the cleaning method.
Best: vendor coordinates with your facilities team to align notification with building operations schedule.
BolAero provides a tenant notice template as standard. No technical detail needed in the notice — we handle that.
8. Can You Provide References From Similar Properties?
Ask for references from properties similar to yours — building type, height, and market positioning. A vendor with strong apartment complex experience may not have done a 12-story office building. A vendor with large industrial accounts may not understand the appearance standards of a Class A property. References specific to your building category matter.
Ask for: property type, building height, and contact name — not just a company name.
Ask the reference: how was communication? Was documentation delivered as promised? Would you hire them again?
If no references are available for your building type, that is relevant information.
Questions About This Topic
What insurance should a commercial exterior cleaning company carry?
Minimum $1M per occurrence general liability, with $2M–$3M standard for mid-rise and high-rise work. Workers Compensation if they employ W-2 workers. COI with additional insured language should be deliverable in under 2 weeks — under 5 business days from a responsive vendor.
Is FAA certification required for drone exterior cleaning?
Yes. FAA Part 107 certification is legally required for any commercial drone operation in the United States. It certifies the pilot, not just the equipment. Ask for the Remote Pilot Certificate number and verify it on the FAA DroneZone database.
What should a Proof-of-Clean Report include?
Before-and-after photos organized by building side and elevation zone, a scope completion checklist, the date of service, and the cleaning method used. A well-formatted report includes enough detail to file with lease records, insurance documentation, or board presentation materials.
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